CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Let me begin by stating that I want LeBron James to remain a Cavalier for the balance of his career.

To be clear: I WANT LEBRON JAMES TO REMAIN A CAVALIER FOR THE BALANCE OF HIS CAREER.

I want LBJ to stay.

I submit that most Northeast Ohio natives who are lifelong Cavaliers supporters or followers think the same way, for any number of reasons. One of mine is that I am a member of the sports media in this town. James is good for business.

My problem is, as I sit here typing with "Decision Day'' upon us, I cannot see how James passes on the opportunity to join the Chicago Bulls.

If James does, indeed, announce tonight that he is going to be a Bull, it will set up the granddaddy of O.I.C. moments: Only In Cleveland can its NBA team feature LeBron James and Carlos Boozer at one point (2003-2004) and get zero titles from either -- only to have the two reunite with the hated Bulls seven seasons later to turn that team into the favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference.

It makes the baseball club's O.I.C. trades of Cy Youngs in back-to-back seasons pale by comparison.

I can see why James would say no to the Los Angeles Clippers. Only a fool goes toe-to-toe with Kobe Bryant on his turf, especially when Bryant's Lakers are the NBA's Yertle the Turtle, rulers of all that they see. Plus, the Clippers are the Clippers.

I can see why James would deny the New Jersey Nets (always in Manhattan's shadow) and New York Knicks (they're not as hip as the Nets; LBJ's Yankees are bigger than even he).

The Miami Heat is much more difficult to write off, but in the end, I can't see James sharing the ball/spotlight/credit with Dwyane Wade and, to a lesser extent, Chris Bosh. No matter how much James contributes, the Heat always will be Wade's team. Batman and Robin works in the NBA; Batman-Batman-Robin is a tricky proposition.

Potentially playing for Pat Riley would seem to be a dream. But I'm not convinced that eight-year pro James, no matter what he says publicly, wants to go from having control of Mike Brown to being controlled by Riley.

I can see why James would say no to the Cavaliers. More on that in a bit.

The Bulls? For weeks I pegged them as the preferred destination for James -- and then they signed Boozer.

Put yourself in LBJ's sneakers. How do you say no to a core of you, Boozer (hate him or hate him), Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah? The oldest, Boozer, is 28. Support those guys with nothing but ball boys and they still win 50 games.

Unlike in Miami, James definitely would be the lead dog in Chicago. Rose is a star-in-the-making, but he's no LBJ. Boozer always will carry the lunch pails.

Chicago's new coach, Tom Thibodeau, is a rookie. Great reputation, well-respected, but a rookie. James can manipulate if needed.

The three most repeated arguments against James going to Chicago, at least from the Cleveland side, can be summed up thusly: Mike, cash, crib. James is no Michael Jordan; James will leave tens of millions on the table if the chooses Chicago over Cleveland; Cleveland is home.

LBJ is no MJ -- but who is? James doesn't think he is Jordan, or he would be set to wear No. 23, not No. 6, should he become a Bull. I've read hundreds of stories on James for years and rarely seen a quote where he directly compares himself to Mike. When he does, it's about similar loves for the game.

James views Jordan as an icon, which means he doesn't have to fill the shoes or follow in the footsteps. Even if he did, if a great player is not permitted to follow Jordan because he'll never be Jordan, then how are the Bulls ever supposed to win again? An NBA franchise is allowed to have legends at different times. Bill Russell, Larry Bird. Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant.

It's a fact that James will leave plenty of guaranteed contract money behind if he exits Cleveland to play for any other team, not just Chicago. That's a big deal, because James wants to get paid. But he also wants to win. And the best way to get paid the really big bucks -- in China and other world markets -- is to win, thereby building the brand. I listened to a lengthy radio report one night about how LBJ's brand in relatively untapped basketball market China has some catching up to do to Bryant's. Why? Rings. The Chinese sports fans like the guys with the rings. I'm sure they're not the only ones.

If James backs away from the table and puts on the objective goggles, I don't see how he views his Cavs of 2010-2011 and beyond as having more potential to win championships than his Bulls of 2010-2011 and beyond. Bottom line: The Cavs' roster is not built to win over the long haul largely because, in a desperate attempt to please the King, the brass took a pieces-parts approach year after year.

I don't blame the Cavs' decision makers. I would have done the same thing, especially given that James wanted certain players. But when the bill comes due, and the big man is a free agent with zero titles to show for seven seasons, it's a problem.

I truly believe James has wanted to stay with the Cavaliers all along, even after the bitter disappointments of the past three postseasons. It's just that reality has made him think twice, then think some more. If LBJ stays with the Cavs, are they better now, or in the near future, than Boston? Orlando? Chicago? Miami?

The Lakers? Oklahoma City?

The Cavaliers' biggest trump card is supposed to be that they play in LBJ's hometown. I disagree. Northeast Ohio is his comfort zone, but Akron, not Cleveland, is his hometown. He has made that clear, never moreso than when he chose the first and second MVP ceremonies to be in Akron.

I have no doubt James immensely has enjoyed his time with the Cavaliers, who have treated him like royalty and bent over backwards for him. (Credit the Cavaliers' organization with a spectacular performance during the free-agent feast at the IMG building last week, when it hired the highly regarded Byron Scott as coach in the nick of time and, by all acounts, more than held its own when other clubs were making their pitches.)

I have no doubt that LBJ likes being very close to "home.'' But if he does decide to leave, I don't think he will feel guilty, per se, about turning his back on his hometown -- because Akron does not have an NBA team.

It's 3 a.m., and I've got to try to sleep. But I don't want to close my eyes, for fear of seeing James and Boozer running the break in Bulls uniforms.

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